Only 7 days until the wonderful successor of the beloved Smash Bros. series is released to the public and you can bet that any store selling video games will add this to their lineup. With a strong lineage, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a true celebration of the series and the history it has had.“Everyone is Here”, all of our favorite franchises melee it out, in an all-out brawl, in the most ultimate way. There are many newcomers to the series such as characters representing the Castlevania game series along with the Inklings from Splatoon that make an appearance. Additionally, all previous contenders in this series return to claim their rightful place as the best. This list is focusing on the characters that have received the most interesting changes to their play style from the previous installment of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, or newcomers that possess a never-before-seen play style that many are thinking of picking as their main. Let us start the top 10 characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that we are most looking forward to!
Fans are still shocked that the beloved bounty hunter from the Metroid series, claimed to be too big for Smash, made an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This extraterrestrial dragon that truly never dies takes the role of a high-damage heavyweight fighter. Ridley has excruciatingly painful attacks. Vicious and ruthless, this iconic villain certainly earns his title. Unfortunately, the sheer power behind his moves come at a cost. Slow, predictable strikes that can be easily countered by a skilled opponent. Ridley will, as of right now, not be seeing a lot of play competitively, though the Smash series has always been a game of two dualities.
The dark wizard of the desert and archenemy of Link and the Kingdom of Hyrule, Ganondorf returns better than ever. Originating from Super Smash Bros. Melee as a close copy of fan-favorite Captain Falcon, this heavy-class fighter has not had the best luck. Slow, predictable moves that have power are easily avoided. However, throwing away his past Twilight Princess self, the Ganondorf from the critically acclaimed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time arrives in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.With access to faster, powerful attacks utilizing his iconic Sword of the Sages, he rivals a spot for the best in his weight-class. A truly exciting amount of changes.
From the breathtaking RPG of Xenoblade Chronicles and contender in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Shulk makes a return stronger than ever. The biggest change to Shulk is his mastery of his mysterious blade, the Monado. Now being able to quickly switch between empowering arts, instead of cycling through them, his play style is faster and more pristine. Along with the plethora of landing lag changes given to characters, Shulk comes out a champion. Stronger, better-built, and powerful, in the right hands, Shulk becomes an imposing threat to his opponents.Predicted to be competing for the best champion on the roster, Shulk will surely see play within the competitive scene and in the spotlight where he belongs. A true underdog story climbing from low-to-mid-tier to top-tier.
Joining the Villager in representation of the beloved simulation series of Animal Crossing, Isabelle makes an entrance. A want that many craved for, though not necessarily one expected to join the colorful cast presented in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While not busy doing work as the secretary for the mayor, it seems Isabelle relieves stress by combating with the majority of the Nintendo cast. Firmly sitting as a mid-tier candidate, and outranking that of Villager, her unique kit offers a lot of strong combo potential.From her amazing fishing pole-propelled grab to the many traits that made Villager a force to be reckoned with, Isabelle hones these assets and urges players to try her unique play style.
First incarnated in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Pokemon Trainer and his Pokemon of Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard were always an odd addition to the roster. Aesthetically, he was unique in switching between fighters within the match, though it was implemented poorly, making some of the Pokemon he used far superior than others. With these faults, we did not see him make it in the roster for the following Smash Bros. title, and instead was represented by Charizard alone.However, the faults within switching between his party were neutralized, and now all three Pokemon are better balanced. Being able to switch Pokemon mid-combo and continue it through his entire party opens a plethora of exciting opportunities to explore.
From the popular Castlevania series come characters that many expected to be contenders in Smash titles beforehand. Richter and his ancestor, Simon Belmont, make their debut. A dark history behind both characters represents their vampire-slaying lineage, presenting a differing tone to the fighters established within the Smash Bros. series. Both armed with their trusty chain whip, simply dubbed Vampire Slayer, these new contenders already have a foreseen spot within the top of the rankings.Due to the sheer amount of projectiles, and other zoning tools within their kit, these two relatives look to have the strongest zoning potential out of the entire roster, and they will surely be a tough challenge to defeat.
Princess of Hyrule, and an always-beloved icon of Nintendo. Sadly, her career in the Smash Bros. series has left her near the bottom tiers, and competing for the worst character slot on the roster. Slow special moves and weak basic attacks really prevented her from rising to the competitive landscape. However, this renewed Zelda from The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past completely turns around all that made her weak with true power. Basic attacks and landing lags have been modified along with her throw moves to make her a force to be reckoned with. Instead of competing for worst in the roster, she now competes for best throw in the game. Additionally, her special moves have been made user-friendly and less predictable, allowing her to close the gaps and go for the kill.
The long-awaited big bad from the Donkey Kong series finally makes his appearance in the Smash Bros. series. Yes, the pirate lord King K. Rool makes it to the stage and is truly a wonder to behold. Boasting a great amount of armor frames with many of his moves, thanks to his armored belly, and containing wacky projectiles sure to throw his opponents off, he is a truly kooky character on the roster. What’s more is King K. Rool is currently seen as the best heavyweight fighter in the game, and challenges the roster for the top spot. An unstoppable force that packs a whole lot of damage, he is beautifully presented and recreated for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
As far as franchises are concerned, The Legend of Zelda received the most love from the developers in terms of the balance changes and character additions. First debuting in Super Smash Bros. Melee, though better than his adult counterpart, he was flawed in the tools of recovery and had huge trouble in KOing opponents. In a game about viciously striking your foe into the distant scenery, Young Link was lacking.However, in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Young Link takes a spot as one of the best characters within the game, and once again surpasses his older counterpart. His use of projectiles and multiple recovery options fixed the flaws within his previous iteration.
A contender since the beginning and seen as an icon around the world, Pikachu is our number one most anticipated character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Pikachu has always held a spot at the top due to his amazing pressuring and ranged abilities coinciding with his great speed and power. Out of all the returning champions from Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, he sits at the top of the balance changes. Greatly increasing in power from the landing lag reworks of the game, Pikachu is, what many daresay, broken. Pikachu is seen as the best character in the entirety of the roster, rivaled only by Bayonetta and Olimar. Pikachu has truly donned the crown of Smash, currently, and it is up to faithful players to dethrone this adorable threat and name their character as the best-in-game.
A Nintendo Switch trailer was also released.
According to SteamDB.
An announcement trailer was also released.